Inchworm Burpee: A Complete Guide

Quick Intro

Inchworm Burpee, also called the Slow Burpee or Inchworm with Jump, is a HIIT exercise performed by standing tall, bending forward to walk the hands out to a push-up position, performing a push-up, walking the hands back to the feet and finishing with a jump, using a slow hand walk in place of the feet jumping back and forward that a standard burpee uses.

Equipment Needed

Inchworm Burpee needs no equipment. A yoga mat is optional, giving the hands and knees a softer surface but changing nothing about the movement itself.

Why Inchworm Burpee Matters

Walking the hands out and back calls on the back of the thigh (hamstrings, biceps femoris) for the hip-hinge portion, while the push-up itself works the chest (pectoralis major), the front of the shoulder (deltoid, anterior) and the back of the upper arm (triceps brachii), with the muscle along the side of the ribs (serratus anterior) stabilizing the shoulder blades. The abdominals (rectus abdominis) and deep core (transverse abdominis) brace the trunk through the extended plank position the hand-walk creates, and the calf (gastrocnemius) and glutes (gluteus maximus) drive the finishing jump. Replacing the standard burpee’s jump-back-and-forward footwork with a slow hand walk trades hip flexor and hamstring flexibility demand for the repeated ground-impact load a jumping burpee places on the knees and hips, making this a useful option for anyone managing a lower-body impact restriction rather than simply a slower version of the same exercise. Done in rounds it is steady conditioning work, and the shoulders and trunk are tested for endurance as the walk-outs add up.

When to Do It

Inchworm Burpee fits naturally into a conditioning circuit or bodyweight-only session, often substituted directly for a standard burpee when someone needs a lower-impact option that still delivers conditioning work. Two or three sessions a week, spaced so the body has recovered before the next one, is a sensible rhythm.

Anyone with a current wrist, shoulder or hamstring issue should approach this cautiously, since the hand walk places sustained weight on the wrists and asks for a long hamstring stretch on the way out.

Getting Ready

Standing tall with the feet hip-width apart comes first. Bending forward at the hips, keeping the legs as straight as comfortable, sets up the hand walk before the first rep begins.

Walking the hands out slowly and with control, rather than dropping quickly into the plank, is the cue that keeps this exercise doing its intended job.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. The hinge. Stand tall, then bend forward at the hips and place both hands on the floor.

2. The walk-out. Walk the hands forward, step by step, until reaching a full plank position.

3. The push-up. Perform one push-up, keeping the body in a straight line.

4. The walk-back and jump. Walk the hands back toward the feet, stand up and finish with a jump.

How Many, How Often

Inchworm Burpee is dosed by work-to-rest interval, not a plain rep count, since it’s typically performed as a repeated conditioning cycle carried through a fixed work window.

A controlled walk-out on every single rep matters more here than how many reps fit inside the work window, since rushing the hand walk trades away the hamstring and shoulder demand this exercise is built around.

Modifications and Variations

Inchworm Burpee has one alternative and one easier version.

As an alternative, the standard burpee (Burpees) replaces the slow hand walk with feet jumping straight back and forward, trading the added flexibility demand for a higher-impact, faster cycle.

As an easier option, Inchworm performs the same hand-walk and push-up pattern without the finishing jump, removing the explosive component while keeping the flexibility and shoulder work.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Rushing the hand walk. Speeding through the walk-out to save time cuts the hamstring stretch this version is built around short. A steady, controlled walk on every rep keeps the intended benefit intact.

Letting the hips sag during the plank. Allowing the hips to drop toward the floor once the hands reach the plank position shifts strain onto the lower back. Keeping a straight line from shoulders to heels protects the spine through the push-up.

Taking small, choppy steps. Shuffling the hands out in tiny increments turns the movement into more steps than the exercise calls for and shortens the flexibility benefit. Full, deliberate strides get the same distance covered with the hamstrings working through a longer range.

Skipping the finishing jump. Standing up without adding the jump turns this into the easier Inchworm variation. Finishing every rep with a jump keeps the conditioning demand where it belongs.

After Your Set

A standing forward fold, letting the arms and head hang toward the floor, releases the hamstrings that just carried the walk-out portion of the set. A few slow shoulder rolls settle the shoulders after repeated weight-bearing through the push-up.

Going Deeper

Progress on Inchworm Burpee often gets judged by how many rounds get finished, but the test is whether the hand walk stays slow and controlled through the last round of the set, not just the first. A round finished only because the walk-out got rushed trades away the hamstring and shoulder demand this exercise is meant to build.

Someone comfortable with a controlled standard push-up and a controlled forward fold already typically holds a full, connected inchworm burpee cycle within the first one to two weeks, and moves to a faster interval pace somewhere in the three to five week range.

How to Know You’re Improving

1. A hand walk that stays slow and controlled from the first rep to the last
2. A push-up that keeps a straight line from shoulders to heels
3. Full, deliberate strides on the walk-out
4. A faster interval pace attempted only once the current one stays fully controlled across a whole set

A hand walk that never rushes, not the total rep count, is what progress looks like here.

Muscles Worked

• Pectoralis Major (the main chest muscle, pressing the body up in the push-up at the bottom of the cycle)
• Triceps Brachii (the muscle along the back of the upper arm, extending the elbows out of the push-up)
• Gluteus Maximus (the largest glute muscle, extending the hips for the jump that ends each rep)
• Anterior Deltoid (the front of the shoulder, loaded through the whole hand-walk out and back)
• Biceps Femoris (the back of the thigh, stretched as the hands walk away from the feet)
• Transverse Abdominis (a deep core muscle that wraps around the torso like a corset, stopping the hips sagging during the walk out)
• Rectus Abdominis (the abdominal muscles running down the front of the stomach, closing the hips as the hands walk back toward the feet)
• Serratus Anterior (a muscle along the side of the ribcage, moving the shoulder blades through each hand step)
• Gastrocnemius (the main calf muscle, pushing off for the jump at the top)

FAQ

What’s the difference between this and a standard burpee? A standard burpee jumps the feet back and forward. This version walks the hands out and back instead, trading the jumping impact for a hamstring and shoulder flexibility demand.

Is this easier or harder than a standard burpee? Neither, exactly. It removes the ground-impact load a jumping burpee places on the knees and hips, but adds a flexibility demand the standard version doesn’t ask for, making it a different challenge rather than simply an easier one.

Can I skip the push-up? Skipping the push-up removes the upper-body work from the exercise. Reaching a full plank and completing the push-up captures the full benefit this version is built around.

Is this a good option for sore knees? Yes, since removing the jumping footwork lowers the repeated impact load on the knees while still delivering a conditioning stimulus through the hand walk and push-up.

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Next in this series: Inchworm, the same hand walk and push-up without the finishing jump.